By Dan Whitcomb

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The family of former San Diego Chargers star Junior Seau, who killed himself last year, sued the National Football League on Wednesday, claiming that his suicide resulted from brain disease caused by repeated hits to the head during his football career.

The wrongful death lawsuit, which was filed in San Diego Superior Court by Seau's family, as well as the trustee of his estate, also claims that the NFL concealed the risks of brain damage in the sport, court documents showed.

A study by a team of independent researchers released earlier this month found that Seau, 43, suffered from the same debilitating brain disease diagnosed in at least two other former NFL players who committed suicide.

The study found that Seau had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, likely brought on by two decades of blows to the head.

An NFL spokesman, Greg Aiello, told Reuters the league's attorneys would review the lawsuit and respond to the claims appropriately through the court.

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Cynthia Johnston)